ces.
Those most remote, however, being roused from their beds, not knowing
what the tumult was, or whence it came, were directed to flight, and
some of them, without perceiving it, into the midst of the enemy. A
great number flying into the territory of Antium, an attack being made
on them in their straggling march by the townspeople, were surrounded
and cut off. A like carnage was made of the Tuscans in the Veientian
territory; who were so far from compassionating the city which had now
been its neighbour for nearly four hundred years, overpowered as it now
was by a strange and unheard-of enemy, that at that very time they made
incursions on the Roman territory; and laden with plunder, had it in
contemplation to lay siege to Veii, the bulwark and last hope of the
Roman race. The Roman soldiers had seen them straggling over the
country, and collected in a body, driving the spoil before them, and
they perceived their camp pitched at no great distance from Veii. Upon
this, first self-commiseration, then indignation, and after that
resentment, took possession of their minds: "Were their calamities to be
a subject of mockery to the Etrurians, from whom they had turned off the
Gallic war on themselves?" Scarce could they curb their passions, so as
to refrain from attacking them at the moment; and being restrained by
Quintus Caedicius, the centurion, whom they had appointed their
commander, they deferred the matter until night. A leader equal to
Camillus was all that was wanted; in other respects matters were
conducted in the same order and with the same fortunate result. And
further, under the guidance of some prisoners, who had survived the
nightly slaughter, they set out to Salinae against another body of
Tuscans, they suddenly made on the following night still greater havoc,
and returned to Veii exulting in their double victory.

46. Meanwhile, at Rome, the siege, in general, was slow, and there was
quiet on both sides, the Gauls being intent only on this, that none of
the enemy should escape from between their posts; when, on a sudden, a
Roman youth drew on himself the admiration both of his countrymen and
the enemy. There was a sacrifice solemnized at stated times by the
Fabian family on the Quirinal hill. To perform this Caius Fabius Dorso
having descended from the Capitol, in the Gabine cincture, carrying in
his hands the sacred utensils, passed out through the midst of the
enemy's post, without being at all moved by